Tablet or Laptop? Get Mom a Convertible Laptop and Have the Best of Both

By Bruno Galera | Small Business

The best Mother’s Day gifts are the ones that create lasting memories. While flowers and cards are nice (and it is the thought that counts), tech-savvy moms might enjoy something else this year. The best way to create these memories is to give her something she really can (and will) use.

In the tech world, the talk has been all about the tablets, but that doesn’t mean they are immediately the best choice for a gift (just because all the other kids are doing it…). Depending on her needs, a laptop may still be the best option for moms this year. Both devices have a lot of benefits to offer, though, so it’s important to understand the pros and cons of each.

Tablets

Tablets are currently dominating the mobile market. They are compact, light weight, and offer instant-on capabilities so there’s no waiting around when you just want to check out a single website or check for any messages or status updates. They range from 7 to 10 inches and provide a lot of everyday functionality. The touch interface is very intuitive and simple, and they have sufficient processing power for most daily tasks, fun games, and web browsing.

However, the total functionality is somewhat limited compared to a laptop. It may be best to think of a tablet as a tool for consuming content (books, movies, games, the web, etc.) rather than producing it. These devices are fast, convenient, and easy to use for a limited number of tasks. If your mom doesn’t do much more than casual computing, this may be a great option.

Laptops

Tablet or Laptop? Get Mom a Convertible Laptop and Have the Best of Both

The traditional laptop also offers plenty of mobile computing power, but until recently it just wasn’t as convenient as a tablet. Now, though, there are models that are smaller, lighter, and sleeker than ever before and still provide far more functionality than the average tablet. You can use the full keyboard and mouse for more precise interactions, and the most recent ultrabooks have very fast start-up time that rivals the tablets. In other words, it is a great tool for producing content as well as consuming it.

Of course, laptops can weigh anywhere from 3 to 9 pounds and if you are working in a very tight space, without anywhere to set the laptop, it can be very difficult to use.

Convertible Laptops: Best of Both Worlds

Tablet or Laptop? Get Mom a Convertible Laptop and Have the Best of Both

So what’s the option? You likely don’t want to buy her a laptop and a tablet because, aside from the costs of buying both, the added hassle of dealing with both devices, both charges, and the different accessories tends to ruin the whole “convenience” aspect that we were shooting for in the first place. So if you’re only going to go for one, which one should it be?

You could try to secretly question your mom to determine which one would suit her needs, or you could just go the convertible ultrabook route and get the benefits of both in a single device. Convertibles have integrated keyboards (not just detachable keyboards) so she can sit down and get to work or flip the monitor around to take advantage of the simple touch interface when it would be more convenient. This is a simple way to get the best of both worlds in a single gift.